This application makes reference to, incorporates the same herein, and claims all benefits accruing under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7119 from the inventor""s application A METHOD FOR IMPLEMENTING FUNCTION MODULES IN AN IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS filed with the Korean Industrial Property Office on Nov. 20, 1999 and there duly assigned Ser. No. 51742/1999.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process and system for implementing function modules in an image forming apparatus. More particularly, the invention concerns a process and system for implementing function modules in an image forming apparatus when the image forming apparatus requires an additional function.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, an image forming apparatus calculates image data by operation on a data input from an external device. The apparatus forms an image picture on a display device according to the image data. A user requires not only an image forming function but also, as the circumstance requires, various communication functions such as Ethernet, Token Ring, and IEEE 1394 bus. The conventional process for adding to the image forming apparatus such functions as Ethernet, Token Ring, and IEEE 1394 bus is that the user must install both hardware and software modules for implementing the functions or must install at least a software module without a hardware module for implementing the functions. See FIG. 1.
The following patents are considered to be representative of the prior art relative to the present invention, and they are illustrative of the disadvantages discussed above:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,640,939 entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ADDRESS TO PORT MAPPING IN A TOKEN RING NETWORK to Lindeborg et al. discloses a concentrator 10 containing a plurality of media modules 14 having ports 2 connected to a plurality of stations such as computers over lines or lobes 4. Each module 14 contains a module processor for performing the addresses to port mapping.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,183 entitled INTERFACING UNIT FOR LOCAL AREA NETWORKS to Won et al. discloses a local area network(LAN) 20 with a 10 Base-T media attachment unit (MAU) 22 for interfacing to an unshielded twisted pair link 24 and an ethernet (Coaxial) type MAU 21 for interfacing to a coaxial link 23.
An article in www.eng.dmu.ac.uk/xcx9cmt96/pjb/pp/firewire.htm discloses a direct digital connection system enabling a DV camcorder to be connected to any device, equipment or system, such as a personal computer, conforming to the interface technology of the IEEE 1394 bus. The direct digital connection system shows various types of connections between consumer devices and between consumer devices and PC.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,802,017 entitled INFORMATION-SIGNAL RECORDING APPARATUS AND RECORDING MODE INQUIRING/SPECIFYING METHOD to Sato et al. discloses a IEEE 1394 serial bus and a transmission and reception blocks to and from an IEEE 1394 bus. IEEE 1394 serial buses are used to connect Hard disk driver, a television receiver, a video tape recorder, a CD player, and a PC to each other.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,935,267 TO Hayakawa, entitled DATA COMMUNICATION METHOD AND A DATA COMMUNICATION SYSTEM FOR USER WITH A DIGITAL NETWORK, shows a communication network having data transmission and reception nodes implemented by IEEE 1394 standard.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,717,889 to Rettig, entitled COLLISION REDUCTION ALGORITHM FOR AN ETHERNET BACKOFF PROTOCOL, U.S. Pat. No. 5,541,957 to Lau, entitled APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING AND/OR RECEIVING DATA AT DIFFERENT DATA TRANSFER RATES ESPECIALLY IN APPLICATIONS SUCH AS DUAL-RATE ETHERNET LOCAL-AREA NETWORKS, U.S. Pat. No. 5,436,903 to Yang et al., entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR USE IN A NETWORK OF THE ETHERNET TYPE, TO IMPROVE FAIRNESS BY CONTROLLING COLLISION BACKOFF TIMES AND USING STOPPED BACKOFF TIMING IN THE EVENT OF CHANNEL CAPTURE, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,469,437 to Runaldue, entitled NETWORK CHIP WITH AUTO SENSING AND RECONFIGURATION show a various of ethernet local area networks.
The user buys a hardware module for implementing a required function and a software module (or program) for driving the hardware module or a specific software module. First, the user decides whether to install the hardware module in the image forming apparatus. If the user decides to make the hardware installation, the user installs the hardware module in the image forming apparatus. The user decides whether to install the software module in the image forming apparatus or not. If the user decides not to install the hardware module, there is no need to decide whether to install the software module. If the user decides to install the software module in the image forming apparatus, the user installs the software module in the image forming apparatus, restarts the image forming apparatus, and then confirms that the normal operation of the installed function is provided by the hardware and software modules. Thus, the function adding operation is completed.
This process is not entirely satisfactory however. Although it is relatively easy to install a hardware module in an image forming apparatus pursuant to an installation manual, it is hard to install a software module in the image forming apparatus, since the functions of software modules are increasingly more complex than before. Accordingly, an ordinary user cannot quickly and reliably install a software module in an image forming apparatus module. Even an expert has considerable trial and error and spends a lot of time in the software installation. Thus, it costs the provider much expense for after-sales service. Moreover, when both of the hardware and software are provided for adding a function in the image forming apparatus, the cost of the software and the charges for transporting and storing are increased compared to when only the hardware is provided. Furthermore, while there hardly can be unauthorized copies when both of the hardware and software are provided for adding a function in the image forming apparatus, there may be plenty of unauthorized copies when only software is provided for adding functions in the image forming apparatus. Thus, profits obtained from selling the special function software are reduced. I have noticed, therefore, a need for a new process and apparatus for adding functions to an image forming apparatus. This is required to provide to users the advantage of conveniently and quickly adding the required function to the image forming apparatus, while also providing an advantage to the provider by reducing the cost of offering after-sales services to the users and by preventing pirated editions of the hardware and software.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved image formation process and apparatus.
It is another object to provide image formation processes and apparatus that are susceptible to implementation as hardware modules.
It is still another object to provide a process for implementing function modules in an image forming apparatus when the image forming apparatus requires an additional communication-related function. In this regard, it is an object to provide a process for installing a hardware module without having to install a software module. It is also desired to make the apparatus capable of completing the installation of the additional function by input of a predetermined key code corresponding to the additional function.
It is still yet another object to provide a process and apparatus for adding functions to the image forming apparatus, thereby providing to users the advantage of conveniently and quickly adding the required function to the image forming apparatus. It is also an object to reduce the cost of offering after-sales services to the users and to prevent recourse to pirated editions of the hardware and software.
These and other objects may be attained with the implementation of additional communication function modules in an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. When hardware is needed for operating necessary function modules, the invention operates by: installing a hardware module in an image forming apparatus; selectively operating a control panel or a management program of the image forming apparatus; and providing an input of a function key code. The code is generated by: combining a first data series for identifying respective image forming apparatuses with a second data series corresponding to function module numbers; storing the function key code in a memory section; and starting the function module by starting the image forming apparatus after selectively operating the control panel or the management program of the image forming apparatus and providing an input of the function key code.
These objects may also be accomplished with the implementation of function modules in an image forming apparatus according to the present invention when there is no need for additional hardware for operating the function module. This is accomplished by: selectively operating a control panel or a management program of the image forming apparatus; providing an input of a function key code generated by combining a first data series for identifying respective image forming apparatuses with a second data series corresponding to function module numbers; storing the function key code in memory means; and starting the function module by starting the image forming apparatus after selectively operating the control panel or the management program of the image forming apparatus, and inputting the function key code.
It is preferable that the function key code be generated through an encoding algorithm for encoding the combination of the first data series and the second data series. The step for starting the function module contemplates: recognizing the function key code; recognizing the first data series; extracting the function module number from the combination of the function key code and the first data series through a decoding algorithm; and starting the function module corresponding to the extracted function module number.